Presenting Arcana Unearthed: The Malhavoc Handbook
In August of 2003, Malhavoc Press will release Arcana Unearthed: The Malhavoc Handbook. This 256-page hardcover product is a "variant player's handbook," meaning that it contains all the material needed to game in complete compatibility with the Open Game Content material presented in the 3rd edition of the world's most popular fantasy roleplaying game.

But this isn't just a re-presentation of material already familiar to hundreds of thousands of gamers worldwide. Arcana Unearthed contains new material in the form of all-new classes and races, and hundreds of new spells, skills, and feats. In essence, the core of the game remains the same, but all the modular pieces are entirely new. The new material is balanced to work with existing Open Game Content, but it has also been carefully designed to stand alone. You can play using only with the Arcana Unearthed, if you desire.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this a d20 product?
No. It's been created under the Open Gaming License, but not under the d20 License. Basically, the main difference is that under the OGL, we can provide character creation rules.

Is it a stand-alone game?
Yes, actually, although it utilizes core rules familiar to most players, and it can also be used as a supplement for existing Open Game Content games.

I've seen your alternate ranger, sorcerer, and bard classes. Will this book contain those and more redesigned classes like them?
No. That's not what this book is about. It has NEW classes and races and so on. Like the original player's handbook, they are integrated to fill all the necessary "niches" of characters that people want to play, and they are all meant to work together as a whole.

Is this just another book of classes, spells, and feats?
No. It is quite literally a variant player's handbook. You can use this instead of the player's handbook you have. All the races and classes and rules in this book have been designed to form a cohesive whole. They are balanced to work together and created to be complete in this book. That is to say, there are no traditional "roles" you'd like a fantasy game to fill that this book doesn't cover -- but it covers them in a way that is unique. People who want to play spellcasters can choose to be runethanes, who draw their magical power from symbols and sigils, or a witch who not only casts witchcraft spells but manifests one of many types of specific and mysterious witchery powers. Those who favor the more heroic warrior can play an unfettered, who uses wild tactics as well as grace and speed in combat, or a totem warrior, who calls upon the power of a particular animal spirit to grant him special -- often savage -- powers. And this is only the start.

I already have a player's handbook. Won't I be purchasing a lot of the same material twice?
Not really. Every class in Arcana Unearthed is completely new. Every race (except humans) is completely new. Magic works differently. Most of the feats are different. There are even some interesting changes to the skills and the combat system. You don't have to utilize all the changes if you don't want to (the classes, feats, spells, and so on will work with the traditional rules), but the material offers you some interesting options. Besides, if, as a player, you choose to use a race and class from the Malhavoc Handbook, you'll then have everything you need in one book rather than two.

Okay, you mentioned some of the new classes, but what about the new races?
There are a lot of races in this book. The faen are diminutive magical creatures that can metamorphose into winged sprytes. There are giants, tall and noble, who serve as stewards of the realm. The mojh were once human, but they magically altered their own physical beings to resemble the dragons that they revere. Likewise, the sibeccai (SIB ba kai) were once beasts but the giants mystically elevated them to the status of intelligent humanoids -- but they retain aspects of their feral, canine natures. And there are many more. The only race that remains unchanged is the human race.

Hmm. Some of those races sound powerful. Do they have level equivalents?
No, the Arcana Unearthed handles that problem in a different way. Some of the races have special racial level progressions that can be taken like classes to gain unique racial abilities. All the races start out as viable 1st-level characters, either with traditional classes or racial classes.

And feats? How are they different?
A handful of feats will be familiar to you, because they are so basic in their function. Others, however, will be all-new. For example, there is a whole new type of feat called the talent, which is a special ability that you can choose only at the start of the game. There is another type of feat called the ceremonial feat that one can gain only after performing certain rituals.

What else is different?
Lots of things. For example: magic. The spellcasting classes have mostly new spells. The magic system is very different in many ways, actually -- particularly in the creation of magic items and in the flexibility of the spells. Anyone who's a little tired of the traditional "prepare, then cast" method of handling spells will find the ability to alter the a spell's power and weave together minor spells into larger ones very interesting and fun. Individual casters can tailor the spells they know to make them unique.

And that's just for starters. There's new equipment, weapons, and armor. Alignment is gone. The concept of arcane and divine magic is gone. And lots more.

What's the same?
The core rules concepts. How classes, races, levels, feats, skills, and so on work. The basics of combat, combat actions, saving throws, and so on. You know how this game works.

What is the "feel" of the material? Is it what I'm used to?
Yes and no. This is still fantasy roleplaying. If you want to fight dragons wielding a mighty sword or rain down fire with mystical spells, we've got you covered. But there are differences. The rules material is intentionally less generic and more flavorful. If you want to play a very basic swordswinger or spellcaster, you've already got that it your existing player's handbook. This material has a sweeping feel, where the things that people do are rooted in deep traditions and governed by important rituals. The interaction of the races is very complex -- for example, do humans appreciate the protection and guidance of the giants, or do they resent it? And how do they react to the mojh and the runechildren, two groups of people who have willingly transformed themselves magically (and permanently) into completely new and different races? Lots of roleplaying potential is locked within the flavor behind the rules.

That doesn't mean that you can't easily drop this material into an existing campaign. However, it does mean that for people who want to use it, there's a lot to grab onto -- and a lot more than just rules.

Who are you aiming this product toward?
Two groups of people. First, Arcana Unearthed is for anyone who plays an Open Game Content fantasy roleplaying game now who wants some new and innovative material from one of the original designers of 3rd Edition Dungeons & Dragons to add to their game . If there's anything in the book a player doesn't like, he can just play with what he's used to instead. From that point of view, it's all modular and optional.

Second, it's aimed at people who are very familiar with their fantasy RPG, who have been playing the game for years and like the rules, but want to breathe new freshness into their game night. These gamers don't need to learn new rules, but will have enough options to play new and exciting characters for years to come. Imagine 10 new races and 13 new classes, with new feats, skills, and spells to choose from. It will be just like the first time they played the game, when everything was new and exciting. From this point of view, it's all a complete package.

Will this be an electronic product, a print product or both?
Unlike most Malhavoc Press products, this book will not appear as a PDF first. The hardcover print edition available in August for $29.95 will be the book's debut. (Well, we'll have some at Gen Con in late July.) Shortly thereafter, portions of the new material will be available as individual PDFs for sale at www.montecook.com, for people who prefer electronic formats or just don't want the entire book.

What sorts of support materials will there be?
Right after Arcana Unearthed is released, Malhavoc Press will publish The Diamond Throne: Malhavoc Handbook Volume II. This book presents prestige classes, magic items, and monsters created to be compatible with the rules found in Arcana Unearthed (but compatible with other Open Game Content products as well). It also provides some setting background and flavor for DMs that want to focus on a Malhavoc Handbook-only campaign. It's our intention to provide adventures and more sourcebooks for this material at the end of the year and into 2004 as well.

This is a lot to take in at once. Will we be able to learn more specifics?
As the year progresses, this website will be offering lots of previews of the new material and providing an insider's look at the reasons for the changes, why certain things work the way they do, and how it all comes together. Also, for more information right now, check out my interview in the new issue of Polyhedron magazine, issue 155 (sold on the flip side of Dungeon #96). Look for the issue on newsstands December 10.

The product's name reminds me of an old D&D product. What's the deal with that?
When I was young and got my copy of the 1st Edition Advanced Dungeons & Dragons book Unearthed Arcana, I thought it was really cool. It had new classes, spells, and rules for AD&D. But the one thing that I thought could have made it cooler was if all the new stuff had been meant to be a complete, stand-alone package. Thus, the idea for a variant player's handbook was born years ago. I've wanted to do this product ever since. Wizards of the Coast has graciously said it was okay for us to use this slightly different name for our book, and we're thankful for that.